Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
“Don’t insult me,” Tony says, glaring at me. “I’m here for Giacomo as much as for you.”
“You’re a good man, Tony. You too, Niccolo. Giacomo would’ve been proud to see you both here, ready to kill for him. Hell, you’ve already killed for him. One squad of Russians in exchange for one Italian life isn’t bad.”
“I want them all,” Niccolo says quietly.
I take a breath and let it out. I can’t protect everyone, not if I want to protect Kacia. Tony and Niccolo aren’t going to leave no matter how hard I press, and a part of me is relieved. I could go through this myself and take the risks entirely on my own shoulders, but I have a better chance of bringing Kacia home with Tony and Niccolo watching my back.
“We’re in this, brother,” Tony says squeezing my shoulder. “What’s the plan?”
I look away at the bullet-ridden Rover and rub the side of my head. My ears are blaring, my body’s still twitching from all the adrenaline, and rage is rolling down my spine. Rage at Denny for turning on us and rage at the Russians for thinking it was a good idea to try to kill the Don of the Valverde Famiglia’s son. If they didn’t want war before, they’re getting one now.
“We ditch the car. Pack up what you can carry. I’ll make some calls and procure a new set of wheels. We wait until it’s dark and then we go kill a bunch of Russians.”
Chapter 25
Kacia
Adrienne’s a shivering mess.
We’re left alone for hours. I don’t know what time it is and it doesn’t matter. I hold Adrienne on the mattress and whisper soothing things to her, and eventually she regains some of her strength, at least enough to tell me what happened. Her voice is a croak, like her throat is perpetually dry.
They came for her in the middle of the night. She heard shouting, fighting, one gunshot. That must’ve been Giacomo getting killed. Then the Russians broke into her apartment, dragged her out, and beat her viciously in the street before shoving a bag over her head, driving her back here, and throwing her into this room.
Since then, nothing. Only food and water, and barely any of that. “I didn’t even know what this was about until you showed up.” She doesn’t sound angry, and that only makes it worse.
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper, fighting back tears. She needs me to be strong right now, but the bastards hurt her so badly that I’m terrified she’ll never recover.
“It isn’t your fault.” She smiles weakly. “I knew what I was getting into when we became friends.”
“How could you have possibly known who and what I am?”
“Your name, Florakis… your family is pretty well known at Blackwoods. Not the most famous or anything, but it’s not a secret.”
“Really?”
She sighs and nuzzles against my shoulder. “Oh, Kacia, you have no clue, do you? Blackwoods is basically a college for gangsters. Half the kids there are children of the mafia elite, and the other half are children of the regular elite.”
“Which one are you?”
“A little bit of both.” She stretches and groans. “God, everything hurts.”
“I’m going to get us out of this, I promise.”
“By marrying that Russian guy?”
I hesitate, looking away. No, I’m not going to marry him, not matter what. But I don’t have a plan exactly, nothing aside from charging at the next person to open that door and trying to bite their throat out, but marrying the Russian is not on the list of possibilities. Even though it would make sure Adrienne is released, or at least I think it would. Gangsters are criminals and liars and thieves, but even they have an honor code.
“Do you know anything about these people?” I ask.
She shrugs and shakes her head. “Not a whole lot. Russian mafia, run by a guy named Damir Novalov. The Matvey person is probably some minor figure in the family at best. No offense but I doubt they’d let someone truly important marry you.”
“None taken. Just means they won’t be as mad when I kill him.”
“Kacia…”
“I’m kidding. Mostly.”
“It’s not that I’d mind you killing him, but it’s more that I don’t see how you’ll pull it off. But that’s beside the point.” She struggles to sit up, wincing the whole time, and looks back at me. “Think about it for a second. What’s the best way to make sure you stay in line?”
“I don’t—” I stop myself and narrow my eyes. “You think they won’t let you go even if I play along.”
“I’m the perfect captive. Keep me holed up in here, keep promising they’ll release me, and use me to ensure you won’t fuck up and try to run away or ask the Italians for help or something like that. Kacia, they’re not going to let me go, whether you marry the Russian or not.”